Reviews by d1ckvanswype:

A: Poured somewhat gently, yields a scant 1/4 finger of white head which disappears quickly. Shows as an amber gold, certainly a touch darker than the Golden Monkey.

S: The first sniff is pure Golden Monkey, but then you're hit with pear, white peach, white grape, oak and a touch of vanilla. Very, very enticing.

T: What a interesting taste this brew provides! First you get a hit of Golden Monkey-like Belgian sweetness, what seems to be a hoppy bitterness but eventually reveals itself to be the oak, lightly woody and spicy, then another splash of sweet Belgian frutiness that changes back to a spicy, white grape and oak flavor that lingers. Delicious!

M: Perhaps a tad thin for how full the flavor is, but even with the seemingly low carbonation it has a definite spumante mouthfeel with a zingy, tingly bubble feel.

O: A smashing success and I only can hope that this becomes at the very least a seasonal brew from Victory. Victory for your taste buds indeed!

More User Reviews:

Victory White Monkey750 ml bottle, corked and cagedI could not find any freshness dating but I'm sure I just missed it

I was surprised when I pulled the cork from the bottle that it didn't "pop". Following that, a fairly aggressive pour was requireded to bring up any head on it. It looked good once formed though, with a thin cap of creamy white foam atop a cloudy golden-orange body. (Had it rested and left the sediment behind would it look better clear?) The head held well, and it left some very nice lacing about the glass.

In the nose it was almost perfume-like with notes of cedar, torn green leaves, flowers, dull spice (with the exception of some brighter coriander), and a spritz of fruit (grape/orange/grapefruit/pineapple/mango/papaya, and at one point even a note of coconut) with a hint of vanilla underneath. It conjured for me an image of myself sitting in a bamboo hut surrounded by vegetation and mountains opening some small wooden box to find beautiful golden fruits and spices inside.

As I'd expected, it was fairly soft in the mouth with just a caress of carbonation across the tongue. I liked that, but I wasn't sure if it was intended that way or not. Should I have cellared it for a few weeks to let it build some carbonation? And would it be better with a bit more zest to it?

The flavor followed the aroma, and it was interestingly woody with lots of cedar and drying notes of oak. Malt was present but acted more as a base for the wood, spice, and fruit. The bitterness was kept in check, and the alcohol was well cloaked. As you progress through the glass, all of the components take a step forward to present themselves a little bit more on their own than as part of the whole, leaving it quite complex, and yet at the same time not complicated or confusing at all. Lemon and oak with a drip of sugar syrup followed by a swirl of spice in the dry finish. It's remarkably accessible and easy to drink, but there is depth of character if you choose to seek it out.

Victory has never let me down before, and this is an impressive beer. I'm assuming that it's just their standard Golden Monkey aged in previously used oak barrels (wine, probably Chardonnay) but it becomes something completely unto itself. Well worth trying, and probably worth seeking out.

Pours into a large tulip glass a slight hazed deep burnt orange with a blooming large white head that left broken chunks of lace as it settled slowly into a frothy mass.Oaky lactic notes hit the nose upfront along with some spiced phenols,as it sits more vanilla warm spice comes into play.Vanilla tinged oak and phenols at the onset of the palate with a mild lactic sourness,the vanilla oak barrel plays a big role and the phenols are more minor.I like this beer alot,alot more than many,I like the complexities of it,a great patio sipper.

Golden Monkey goes to the barrel! Chardonnay barrels were used to bring this Tripel into that realm. Tasty though pretty mellow, loads of wood flavor opens up toward the end of the glass. An interesting sip; perhaps we expected a bit more wine character, though it’s balanced all around.